Clothing for children with cushioned features in knee area

ABSTRACT

An internally integrated cushioned component that applies to all types of children&#39;s legwear; it accomplishes the dual objective of protecting the wearer&#39;s knees by providing cushioning against impact to the knee area and prolonging the lifespan of the garment through utilization of tear resistant material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document relates to garments for children and, more particularly, to garments affording protection with shock absorbing means.

BACKGROUND

Children, in general, will spend much of their waking hours engaged in playful, learning activity, regardless of the legwear category (style, fabric, etc.) they may be then wearing. As they learn to crawl, walk, and run at the various stages of their development, they frequently bruise, scrape, and cut their knee areas as they drag or shuffle themselves across floors of all surface types, or fall down upon rough or hard surfaces and objects. In addition to this direct trauma to children's knees, it is common to find holes and thinning fabric in the knee areas of children's legwear garments owing to this higher incidence of friction and impact.

Prior solutions to this problem allow padded objects or devices to be attached or adhered to the outside of existing garments for children. But, as they are not an integral part of the garment, they require the child to be interrupted by an adult or older sibling to “transform” the current garment into “play clothes.” This is neither practical, nor does it anticipate the learning and playing styles of children's spontaneous play behavior, and therefore it is not a very effective method for protecting knees. Moreover, to require a consumer to make an “after market” separate purchase and additional effort to apply these padded objects is an impediment to their daily use.

There is therefore, a need for a system that provides protection for the knee area, decreases the trauma to the children's knees and lessens the degree of wear and tear to the garment itself, while at the same time accommodating the fact that children, whether learning to crawl, walk, run, or climb a tree, tend to act spontaneously.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention, therefore, relates generally to protecting both the children's knees and the garments themselves from the aforementioned wear and tear by providing a built-in cushioned component for the knee area of children's legwear.

Specifically, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a legwear garment with fabric removed in an oval or any other shape around knee area thereby creating space for the cushioned component to protrude slightly from the cut out area, the result of which is a built-in look providing a structure that aligns and affixes the cushioned component and the garment fabric from the inside.

The cushioned component comprises a perforated neoprene, or other closed cell foam with good compression, component covered on the front and back by nylon or some other durable fabric.

Like the surrounding fabric, the cushioned component can be comfortable against the skin. It can be able to breathe and flex as the wearer moves, and maintain its shape and integrity after washing.

The cushioned component can have a tear resistant nylon covering, featuring assorted colors and other stylish embellishments that can vary with garment design elements to enhance everyday attractiveness. An aspect of this invention is the aesthetic quality that, combined with sensible and comfortable design, appeals to both the purchasers (parents) of the legwear garment and promotes wear-ability for the wearers (children) of the legwear garment.

The cushioned component, combined with the method of integrating it into the legwear garment, provides protection to the knee area while also prolonging garment life by preventing tears, snags, and rips in the knee area.

The cushioned component can be sized for different garments, based on age specifications and garment consumer category, to cover a desired area from above to below the knee area. The cushioned component can be sewn using a combination of attractive and durable stitching designs that secure it in a way that prevents snags or rips to edges of the cushioned covered component, thus preventing tears to the garment while also providing protection to the wearer of the garment.

The cushioned component's surface covering and internal padding can be designed for everyday child play-related impact on all surfaces.

The cushioned component can be sewn into place twice. One sewing can be around the actual edge of the cut-out fabric, using a zigzag flat lock stitch, which creates a durable and pleasing outward facing design. In addition, since the cushioned component is fixed from the inside of the garment, the actual specifically sized periphery of the cushioned component can be sewn with a tight machine inline stitch that leaves a faint impression of the desired shape.

Depending on the garment and the consumer segment, the shape of the cut out in the fabric will vary. The outer stitching may be present in all garments, both as a secure manner in affixing the cushioned component from the inside, and also to define a recognizable standard and pleasing front facing design for this legwear line.

Other embodiments extend to elbow, shoulder, head, hand and hip protection.

Unlike the prior art systems, the invention does not involve patches or pads that need after-market adhering or sewing to the exterior surface of the legwear garments' fabric. The invention requires neither straps, belts, buckles, clips, Velcro nor any other form of add-on attachment device for the garment, to achieve its cushioning function around the knee area.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of legwear garment for children, illustrating the design of the cushioned component.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the legwear garment for children, showing that there are no straps, clips, fasteners of any type, securing the cushioned component from the back or the outside of the garment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the front panel of legwear garment showing an oval section of fabric removed from the front panel.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the front panel of legwear garment, illustrating how the cushioned component is affixed to the garment on the inside of the front panel, precisely positioned over the hole in the fabric of the front panel. It also shows a front and side-view of the cushioned component to illustrate its structure and materials inputs.

FIG. 5 is a back view of the front panel, showing the cushioned component sewn into place, and illustrating the flexible quality of the cushioned component in combination with the fabric.

FIG. 6 is a front view of legwear garment showing the overall look of the design and circumference of the cushioned area, while illustrating the qualities and specifications of the cushioned component itself, shown via a separate front and side view of the cushioned component.

FIG. 7 is a side view of legwear garment showing an example of the garment in use showing the contact of the flexible cushioned component against a hard and angular surface such as stairs.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

Children's legwear for everyday use is generally described in broad terms for both boys' and girls' apparel, and is comprised of casual, loungewear, and formal dress categories. Each category of legwear apparel features an array of styles, cuts, and fabric quality and composition made in a range of preferences depending on the season, intended use or activity, and targeted group demographics, which can mean boys separate, girls separate, or boys and girls as a combined category.

With this as an introduction, FIG. 1 is the front exterior view 2 of leg wear embodiment of the invention. There are two sets 4, 6 of stitching visible on the front panel of the legwear garment. A tight machine in-line stitch 4 leaves a faint impression of an oval shape on the surface of the legwear garment fabric. A zigzag flat lock stitch 6 around the actual edge of the cut-out fabric creates a durable and pleasing outward facing design. There is the nylon covered cushioned component 8 that protrudes slightly as it fills the hole left from the cut out fabric.

The protection to the wearer's knee and area above and below the knee is uniformly provided by the cushioned component across the areas 4, 6, and 8 in FIG. 1. The design and integration method of this invention allows for its application in virtually all types of clothing for children.

FIG. 2 shows the exterior of the back of the legwear garment to show that all integration of the cushioned component into the legwear garment is achieved through the front panel. From behind 10, this legwear garment could be any conventional legwear garment for children. It also shows that there are no straps or clips or external attaching devices of any kind around the back of the knee area 12 needed to accomplish this method of design for integrating a cushioned component into legwear to protect the knee area.

FIG. 3 is a front exterior view of the legwear garment 14 of the invention. It shows an oval shape where fabric has been removed around the knee area to make space for the cushioned component to be positioned properly from the interior side of the front panel and then sewn into place, as made evident in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

FIG. 4 is the interior view of the front panel of the legwear garment 16 of the invention. The cushioned component 18 is comprised of a perforated neoprene, covered by nylon or other durable, tear resistant fabrics. The thickness of the cushioned component 20 varies in relation to the size, style, category and target consumer age range of the wearer of the legwear garment. The area of the legwear garment that has had the fabric cut out 22 is covered from the inside by positioning the cushioned component over the cut out area and securing it to the interior of the front panel with a combined sewing stitch method, effectively replacing the cut out fabric with the cushioned component. The combined sewing stitch method is designed to create a pleasing exterior look to the front panel while maintaining high standards for longevity in securing the cushioned component in its place.

FIG. 5 is a view of the interior of the front panel 24 that shows the cushioned component sewn into place. The cushioned component 26 is thin, yet high in compression quality (neoprene), lightweight, and compatible with the surrounding garment fabric. It is unobtrusive and comfortable for the wearer given the pliability and flexible nature 28 of the design, in addition to the other qualities listed in 26 above that promote comfort and range of motion for the wearer of the garment.

FIG. 6 is the front view of the legwear garment 30 showing the overall look of the design and circumference of the cushioned area. The combined surface area of sections 32 and 34 show the actual area where cushioned protection is provided. Section 34 is the cushioned component portion, with its durable covering, that is slightly protruding from the hole where fabric was cut away. Section 32 is the area that is a continuation of the fabric used in the rest of the legwear garment, and is cushioned the same as section 34 because the cushioned component is affixed from the interior as a single component (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). The cushioned component is not visible on the front exterior in section 32, only the faint line created by the in-line machine stitching through the fabric. The zigzag flat lock stitch 36 sews securely the cushioned component to the edge of the hole where the fabric was cut away. The tight in-line machine stitching 38 sews the cushioned component just inside its outer edge into place from the interior of the front panel of the legwear garment.

The neoprene interior material 40 used for the cushioned component can vary in thickness from 1.2 mm to 6 mm depending on the size, style and other variables that are customized to the targeted wearer. The surface covering of the cushioned component 42 is made from nylon or other tear resistant material, and is that same covering that shows in 34.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the legwear garment showing an example of the actual fit of the garment and the impact that the flexible cushioned component 44 withstands against a hard and angular surface. The added protection that the cushioned component provides is evident in this illustration of a toddler 46 making his way up some stairs.

The invention therefore features an aesthetically pleasing exterior design for wearers, and parents of wearers, of the legwear garment, and requires no extra effort from the parents or the wearer in order to get the benefit of having the knee area cushioned, such as taking extra steps prior to each time the wearer wants to wear the garment such as attaching a pad by using clips, bands, velcro, buckles or straps or any other external attaching device. The cushioned component is fully integrated into the garment, is attractive and designed for children to wear comfortably at all times as they engage in their daily and nightly activities, allowing them to break into spontaneous play mode or learning mode (crawling, walking, running, climbing, etc.) without having to change into other clothes or having to interrupt their spontaneous play or learning by adding some form of external device to attempt to provide protection to the knee area.

As will be apparent to people skilled in the art, the system of the invention has many possible applications in addition to providing cushioned features to the knee area. For example, one such use is for protecting the elbows by applying the system to the elbow area of long sleeve shirts.

Another application of the system of the invention is for protecting the heel and palm areas of the hands, or the joint areas of shoulders and/or hips.

The system of the invention can alternatively be used to provide cushioned protection to the head by applying the system to a form fitting headband geared for infants, toddlers, and young children who take falls or bump into objects or the floor while engaging in learning or spontaneous play. This application could be used as a stand alone headband that provides cushioned features across the forehead, temples, and around the back of the cranium, or could be applied to existing protective helmets as an additional cushion to provide incremental protection or to enhance the fit of the helmet to the child's head size. Many protective helmets made for toddlers and little children tend to slip down too low on the forehead and either cause discomfort or prevent the child from seeing, or both. The cushioned component system is a possible solution to this problem of improper fit.

It will be understood that the same system may be used in many different shapes and configurations as dictated by the garment type, size and target wearers' intended use. Although inline machine stitching and zigzag flat lock stitching are used in the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that different types of stitching may be used in alternative embodiments to affix and integrate the cushioned component into the garment.

The cushioned component itself may be made of any combination of materials, although in the preferred embodiment it is of perforated neoprene of various thicknesses and covered by varying grades of nylon fabric, both of which are relatively breathable, pliable, comfortable, washable and compatible with surrounding fabrics of clothing into which the cushioned component is integrated.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described above by way of examples only, it will be understood by those skilled in the field that modifications, alterations, and/or additions may be made or introduced to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed:
 1. An item of protective children's clothing comprising: legwear configured to cover at least a knee area of a wearer, the legwear being constructed of at least one fabric and including an inner surface and an outer surface and having at least one opening formed through the fabric at each knee area; and at least one cushion filling each opening and arranged to protrude through the opening of the outer surface, each cushion being secured by a stitching around a perimeter of the opening to form an integrated unit with the fabric, wherein the cushions are flexible in use.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, each of the cushions is covered and the cushion covering and legwear are similarly colored.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, the cushions are constructed of closed-cell foam.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, the cushions are constructed of neoprene between 1.2 and 6 millimeters thick.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, the cushions are covered with tear-resistant fabric.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, the cushion filling each opening is arranged to protrude through the opening beyond the outer surface.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, the cushion filling each opening is arranged to protrude through the opening to be visible at the outer surface.
 8. An item of protective children's clothing comprising: sleeves integral to the clothing, the sleeves configured to cover at least a joint area of a wearer, the sleeves being constructed of at least one fabric and including an inner surface and an outer surface and having at least one opening formed through the fabric at the exterior angle of each joint area; and at least one cushion filling each opening and arranged to protrude through the opening of the outer surface, each cushion being secured by a stitching around a perimeter of the opening to form an integrated unit with the fabric, wherein the cushions are flexible in use.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, each of the cushions is covered and the cushion covering and sleeves are similarly colored.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, the cushions are constructed of closed-cell foam.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, the cushions are constructed of neoprene between 1.2 and 6 millimeters thick.
 12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, the cushions are covered with tear-resistant fabric.
 13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, the cushion filling each opening is arranged to protrude through the opening beyond the outer surface.
 14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, the cushion filling each opening is arranged to protrude through the opening to be visible at the outer surface.
 15. An item of protective children's clothing comprising: clothing configured to cover at least a vulnerable area of a wearer, the clothing being constructed of at least one fabric and including an inner surface and an outer surface and having at least one opening formed through the fabric at the vulnerable area; and at least one cushion filling each opening and arranged to protrude through the opening of the outer surface, each cushion being secured by a stitching around a perimeter of the opening to form an integrated unit with the fabric, wherein the cushions are flexible in use.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior angle of a knee joint.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior angle of a knee joint.
 18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior angle of an elbow joint.
 19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior angle of a wrist joint.
 20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior angle of a shoulder joint.
 21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior perimeter of the head.
 22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein, the vulnerable area is the exterior point of the hip. 